July 8, 2006

Across the crumpled road map to success, lie two arteries. The first one is the seemingly safe but inherently elusive conventional oft-beaten short-cut that the pedestrian majority gets on. Success here is attempted through numb replication of a formula, almost by rote. The second path, the road-less-traveled, runs across risky unchartered territories and is fraught with blocks at every stage. Travelers who make it across this route are hailed as visionaries, path-breakers or trendsetters. Thank you Sekhar Kammulla, for enrolling in the university of hard knocks and resisting the temptation of taking the shortcut. Thank you for providing a much-needed whiff of fresh air.

What makes Sekhar Kammula’s movies riveting?

A tight script and a taut screenplay for sure, Characters that are so real that you can almost touch and feel them, performances that are strikingly natural, music that is semi-classical yet instantly lovable – all wrapped in a wholesome entertaining package.

Sekhar’s artistry is all the more commendable because he does not make his movies with stars but with performers. As a matter of fact, his movies make stars out of these performers. The ability to identify talent coupled with the ability to extract the best out of them, be they artists or technicians is a talent in itself that very few directors are gifted with - Sekhar Kammula has that in abundance.

Sekhar Kammula makes his movies with sincerity and dedication that get amply reflected in his work. His passion towards his craft is infectious and is not seriously bounded by commercial considerations. His scenes and characters perfectly blend with hardly any loose ends. Characters are etched with great care and consideration, even the peripheral ones. Performances are subdued but powerful. The ensuing output is classy yet entertaining, realistic yet endearing. Women in Sekhar’s movies are strong and treated with great respect, a pleasant deviation from the stereotypical heroines of Telugu masala movies. Music, an integral part of his movies, is extremely melodious and pleasant. The attention paid to lyrics is another commendable departure from the routine stuff being churned out in dozens.

Prasad Varma , Dallas,TX
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